With Valentine’s Day on the horizon and love in the air, now’s the time assess your working relationships and ask yourself the big question: do you have a work spouse? It’s a term that’s becoming increasing popular in workplaces across the country, but what does it actually mean, and more importantly, how do you get one?
The answer is actually fairly simple. Your work husband / wife, is your partner in crime in the office. They’re the one you go to when you need reassurance, and you know that they’ve always got your back; just as you do for them. Instead of going home after a long day and boring your real spouse with the latest workplace dramas, or brainstorming for solutions to your latest project, your work spouse is there to help. Essentially, if you do it right, having a work spouse can be a real win-win situation.
Most of the time, workplace spouses fall into their relationship so naturally that they don’t even realise it’s happened. However, if you’re actively looking for someone to share your working life with, we’re here to tell you what to look out for…
Find someone you trust
Much like picking a partner in life, if you’re going to say a workplace ‘I Do’, you should make sure you’re pairing up with a colleague who has your best interests at heart. Your work spouse should be someone you can count on when things are challenging, but you should also be able to trust that they’ll give you a nudge when you’re slacking; you want someone who will make sure that you’re working to your full potential. Obviously, it goes both ways; you have to feel comfortable dishing out the same advice to your workplace other half, or things could just get awkward.
Make sure you’re on the same level
Partnering up with a co-worker can be a great career decision, however, you should probably do so with someone on the same level as you. While you might well get on with your senior colleagues, you don’t want to have to contend with the inevitable favouritism rumours as a result of a close working relationship. Making sure both you and your work wife / husband are on the same level professionally is a simple way to make sure you don’t start any whispers!
Be firm with where the lines are
Working marriages usually work best between people who are actually married or spoken for in real life, as it ensures that lines don’t become blurred. If you are both single, you should be able to leave your office husband / wife at the office, and you should both ensure that you’re honest about your working relationship. By keeping it strictly professional, you can’t go wrong. If you’ve got a good thing going on at the office, you don’t want to complicate it, so it’s best to make sure there’s no attraction there.
Share common ground
If you’re searching for your workplace partner in crime, make sure that they’re someone you have common ground with. The last thing you want is to find yourself with a work spouse who is your polar opposite. While it’s good to be different, if you can’t find anything to agree on then it’s unlikely to be a successful work marriage; you should be looking for someone who holds similar professional values to yours, and someone whose work ethic matches yours. Just as in a real marriage, your working marriage should be with someone that you align with naturally.
While a work wife / husband is ideal for some people, it’s important to remember that not everyone will feel the same way, and ultimately, you should be making the career choices that you feel work best for you. Having a work spouse to fall back on can be of great comfort to some, while others may choose to go it alone; there’s no right or wrong. However, with Valentine’s Day on the approach, you’d best watch for Cupid’s arrow flying around the office – someone might have their eye on you as the perfect work spouse!
The post Finding the perfect work spouse: it’s time to say ‘I Do’ appeared first on CV-Library Blog.
